Director:

• Floria Sigismondi

Writers:

• Floria Sigismondi (screenplay)
• Cherie Currie (book)

Country: USA
Release Date:

• USA – 9 April 2010

Genre: Drama | Music
ImDB: 7.1/10; ImDB Link

Plot
The film opens with Cherie and her sister Marie Currie as Cherie has just got her first period. Marie’s boyfriend picks up the two sisters from Marie’s job “Pup n’ Fries” and Marie announces to him that Cherie has gotten her period. Angry at her sister for telling, she informs Marie’s boyfriend that Marie is not wearing any underwear. Later Cherie is seen cutting her hair in a shag and putting on face makeup in an attempt to create a David Bowie type look. The scene is accompanied by scenes of Joan huffing marijuana with her girlfriend. Cherie is later seen lip-syncing David Bowie at the school talent show and is the target of paper balls, to which Cherie reacts by flipping off the crowd, but wins the talent show.

Joan is making out with a guy outside a club when she sees record producer Kim Fowley. Joan approaches him and talks about starting an all-girl rock band. Kim is interested and introduces Joan to Sandy West, a drummer. Joan and Sandy become friends and start jamming when Kim suggests that they recruit a hot blonde.

At a club, Kim and Joan look for hot blondes and come over Cherie. They ask if she wants to be in a band and she accepts. Then they tell her to come to auditions in a trailer park in the valley.

Cherie learns the cover song of Suzie Quatro’s “Fever” and goes to audition, however they’re disappointed at the song. Instead, Kim kicks Cherie out of the trailer and with Joan, thinks of a song for Cherie to audition for, thus writing Cherry Bomb. Cherie sings it and after improving, is part of the band.

After moving in with her aunt because her mom moved to Indonesia, Cherie travels to her first gig with the band. After their gig, they get signed to Mercury Records and start recording an album. After the album’s success, they travel to Japan to play a concert. After their performance, Lita Ford throws magazines at Cherie that has pictures of her, something Cherie thought was for the whole band.

After an argument with Lita, Cherie, and Joan, crazy Japanese fans break through the window and chase the girls out of the building. Afterwards, Cherie overdoses in the hotel and is sent to the hospital. Upon arrival, Cherie’s alcoholic father is passing out on his bed. Cherie takes his painkillers and her actions are seen by her twin sister, Marie.

At the studio recording their next album, Cherie has a breakdown and refuses to play, followed by Lita trash talking her and Joan defending Cherie.

After a very heated argument, Cherie quits the band and leaves and Joan has a fit, throwing chairs and beer bottles against the glass. Cherie returns home while Joan continues playing and starts her own band, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Cherie is at a phonebooth in a supermarket parking lot where she overdoses again. At the hospital, her sister visits her and tells her to get her stuff straight.

Later at a job, Cherie hears on the radio Joan Jett’s cover of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and calls the station, where Joan is visiting for interviews. After an awkward conversation between Joan, Cherie, and even the radio host (Rodney Bingenheimer)’ Cherie says her goodbyes and continues working, smiling when Joan’s next song “Crimson and Clover” comes on the radio.